Salix babylonica - Plant Finder Plant Finder Tried and Trouble-free Recommended by 4 Professionals Common Name: weeping willow Height: 30.00 to 50.00 feet Spread: 30.00 to 50.00 feet Bloom Time: April to May Bloom Description: Silver green Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium to wet Garden locations Culture Grow in average, medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Thrives in moist soils. Avoid dry soils. Prefers full sun. Prune as needed in late winter to early spring. This species may not be reliably winter hardy in the St. Louis area, and is best grown in the southern parts of the U.S. Noteworthy Characteristics Salix babylonica, commonly called weeping willow or Babylon weeping willow, is a medium to large deciduous tree with a stout trunk topped by a graceful broad-rounded crown of branches that sweep downward to the ground. It grows to 30-50’ (sometimes to 60’) tall and as wide. It is native to China. Many consider this tree to have the best form of the weeping willows available in commerce.

Bark is gray-black. Branchlets are typically green or brown. This weeping willow can be a spectacular specimen at the edge of a pond with its branches gracefully weeping down to touch the water, however, it is often very difficult to site this tree in a residential landscape. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing in silvery green catkins (to 1” long) on separate male and female trees. Flowering catkins appear in April-May, but are not showy. Narrow, lanceolate, finely-toothed leaves (to 6” long and 3/4” wide) with long acuminate apices are light green above and gray-green beneath. Variable fall color is usually an undistinguished greenish-yellow. Some experts believe that the true species no longer exists in the wild in China and that plants being sold today under the name S. babylonica are primarily hybrids or mistakenly identified similar species. Salix is an ancient Latin name for willows.

The specific epithet was given to this tree by Carl Linnaeus who mistakenly believed it to be the biblical willow of Babylon instead of a tree from China that was likely transported westward beginning in biblical times along the Silk Road trade route from China through central Asia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, eventually finding its way into Europe by the early 1700s. The trees growing in Babylon along the Euphrates River in biblical times were probably poplars (Populus euphratica) which are not willows but are in the willow family. Problems Susceptible to numerous disease problems including blights, powdery mildew, leaf spots and cankers. It also is visited by many insect pests including aphids, scale, borers, lacebugs and caterpillars. Wood is weak and tends to crack. Branches may be damaged by ice and snow. Litter from leaves, twigs and branches may be a problem. Shallow roots may clog sewers or drains and make gardening underneath the trees difficult. Garden Uses Weeping form of this tree is quite beautiful when the tree is planted in appropriate settings.

Weeping willow may be grown most effectively in moist soils along streams, ponds or other water bodies. It is generally not recommended for use as a specimen in residential landscapes because of its susceptibility to breakage, potential insect/disease problems, invasive roots which seek out cracks in sewer and water pipes, litter potential, and overall mature size (this can develop into a very large tree). Growing a Weeping Willow Tree in the Home Garden By Vanessa Richins Myers Updated December 04, 2016. The weeping willow is probably the most well known of the weeping trees . It is great for use as a focal point and in areas that are moist. They love water, so do not plant them near sewer or water lines . If you do, there may be problems. Latin Name: The botanical name for this tree is Salix babylonica. The Salix genus is part of the Salicaceae (willow) family. Common Names: This species is the weeping willow. Preferred USDA Hardiness Zones : You can plant Salix babylonica in Zones 4-9a. Make sure to choose a variety that will work in your zone.

If you are able to keep it well watered, it can also be grown in Zone 10. Size & Shape of the Weeping Willow: The weeping willow grows to a height and width of 35-50' on average, with a weeping shape . Exposure: This tree should be grown in full sun . Foliage/ Flowers/Fruit: The leaves of Salix babylonica are 3-6" long and lance-shaped. They turn yellow in the fall before dropping. The yellow catkins appear in spring. They are inconspicuous. This species is dioecious. The fruit is a 1/2" brown capsule. continue reading below our video How to Identify a Willow Tree Additional Facts This willow tree produces salicylic acid, which was the model for our modern aspirin. Design Tips Weeping willow trees work well in areas that are naturally quite moist. Since they love water, Salix babylonica should not be planted near sewer or water lines, or septic tanks , as they will naturally grow towards them and potentially break them. Weeping willow trees do tend to shed a lot of leaves and twigs, and the tree is brittle.

The bark is reddish brown during the winter. Plan on this as a relatively short term tree - they live, on average, for about 30 years. Growing Tips This tree grows best in moist soil that is well-draining. It is salt tolerant, and tolerant of a wide variety of soils and pHs. Propagation of Salix babylonica is through cuttings. Maintenance/Pruning While the tree is young, prune it so that there is only one central leader . It should also be trained to have wide branch crotches to help prevent breakage. Pests & Diseases Common pests include the gypsy moth , caterpillars, scales, aphids, and borers. This tree may be affected by willow scab, crown gall, willow blight, black canker, fungi, cankers, leaf spot , tar spot, powdery mildew , rust and root rot . medicinal herbs: WEEPING WILLOW - Salix babylonica Salix babylonica Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family) Medicinal use of Weeping Willow: The leaves and bark are antirheumatic, astringent and tonic.

A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of abscesses, carbuncle, fever, rheumatism, skin diseases, ulcers etc. An infusion of the bark has been used to treat diarrhoea and fevers. The bark can be used as a poultice. The stem bark is used in the treatment of skin eruptions due to parasites. The root bark is used in a bath for the treatment of parasitic skin diseases. A gum from the stems is used in the treatment of foul sores. The down of the seeds is used in the treatment of fevers, haemorrhages, jaundice, rheumatism etc. The fresh bark of all members of this genus contains salicin, which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge. Description of the plant: Not known in a truly wild situation. Edible parts of Weeping Willow: Inner bark - raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then added to cereal flour for use in making bread etc.

A very bitter flavour, it is a famine food that is only used when all else fails. Young shoots and flower buds - cooked. Not very palatable. Older leaves are used to adulterate tea. A source of a manna-like substance. Other uses of the herb: The stems are very flexible and are used in basket making. The plant is usually coppiced annually when grown for basket making, though it is possible to coppice it every two years if thick poles are required as uprights. The extensive root system makes this species useful for binding soils. A decoction or infusion of the bark has been used as a wash to make the hair grow. Propagation of Weeping Willow: Seed - must be surface sown as soon as it is ripe in late spring. It has a very short viability, perhaps as little as a few days. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November to February in a sheltered outdoor bed or planted straight into their permanent position and given a good weed-suppressing mulch. Very easy. Plant into their permanent positions in the autumn. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, June to August in a frame. Very easy.

Cultivation of the herb: Not known in a truly wild situation. Known hazards of Salix babylonica: None known *Salix babylonica *Salix babylonica Salicaceae China Location: map coordinates O-50 (southeast of parking lot #24, on northwest side of pond), N 39°11'5'' W 75°32'12'' Planting history: presently unknown. medium-sized deciduous tree (relatively large in width) etymology: Salix = the Latin name; babylonica = of Babylon leaves long, narrow, alternate, finely toothed (serrulate); branches pendulous dioecious (separate male and female plants); flowers inconspicuous, in catkins habitat preference moist soils, full sun lifespan relatively short (ca 40-75 years) used in traditional medicines; bark contains aspirin-like salicin (aspirin is acetyl-salicylic acid; and salicylic acid is derived from salicin.

Salicylic acid is named after the willow genus, Salix)) native to northern China; cultivated for a long time *Non-native species (not native to Delaware) HIT REFRESH TO START LOCATION GRAPHIC © Delaware State University The Willows - including The Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica). | London Tree Surgeons: Tree surgery Tree cutting Tree care and Garden Services SilverWillow-Salix-alba-var-sericea-trunk SilverWillow-Salix-alba-var-sericea-foliage Two cultivated hybrids between pendulous Salix babylonica and other species of Salix willows also have pendulous branchlets, and are more commonly planted than S. babylonica itself: Salix × pendulina, a hybrid with S. babylonica accepted as the female parent. Salix babylonica (Babylon willow) has many cultivars, including: ‘Babylon’ (synonym: ‘Napoleon’) is the most widely grown cultivar of S. babylonica, with its typical weeping branches. ‘Crispa’ (synonym: ‘Annularis’) is a mutant of ‘Babylon’, with spirally curled leaves.

Various cultivars of Salix matsudana (Chinese willow) are now often included within Salix babylonica, treated more broadly, including: ‘Pendula’ is one of the best weeping trees, with a silvery shine, hardier, and more disease resistant. ‘Tortuosa’ is an upright tree with twisted and contorted branches. Yet other weeping willow cultivars are derived from interspecific Salix hybrids, including S. babylonica in their parentage. The most widely grown weeping willow cultivar is Salix × sepulcralis ‘Chrysocoma’, with bright yellowish branchlets. The RHS also list the following naturally occurring hybrids. Salix × alopecuroides Salix × smithiana Salix × stipularis The Willows (Salix). Edward Step had this to say about the Willow in his Wayside and Woodland Trees. There is not in the whole of the British flora another genus of plants that presents such difficulties of identification as the genus Salix. Even so hardened a botanist as Sir J. D.

Hooker, in reviewing the tangle of species, varieties (natural and cultivated), and hybrids, is so far stirred from his ordinary composure that he stigmatizes it as a “troublesome genus.” When Sir Joseph chose that mild adjective he was at Kew surrounded by the national herbaria and with nicely labelled living plants at hand for comparison. What, then, can the rambling nature-lover hope to do with the Willows he comes across one at a time, without much chance of comparing? He must be content to follow the “lumpers,” who group a number of these uncertain forms under the name of a species to which they have evident relationship. When he has mastered the distinctions between these aggregate species, it will be early enough to attempt the segregation of the forms and varieties under each. In their natural condition Willows are graceful and picturesque, but a large number of the examples met with in our rambles have been so altered for commercial reasons as to be more grotesque than beautiful.

It is not the timber-man who is responsible this time, for a pollard Willow, though it produces a shock-head of long slender shoots, suitable for basket-rods, lets in moisture at the top of the bole, and the wood is more or less decayed and worthless. Only four of our native Willows can be regarded as timber trees. These are the White Willow, the Crack Willow, the Bedford Willow, and the Sallow. Like the Poplars, their growth is very rapid, and their wood is consequently light, but it has the advantage of Poplar-wood in being tougher, and therefore serving for purposes where Poplar is of no value. In the present day the growers of straight-boled Willows find their best market among the makers of cricket-bats. A good deal of it is also cut into thin strips for plaiting into chip-hats and hand-baskets. The Osier is grown in extensive riverside beds for the production of long pliant shoots for the basket-weavers; though many of the so-called Osier-rods are really stool-shoots from Willows that have been pollarded, or whose leading shoot has never been allowed to grow.

On those parts of our coast where the crab and lobster fishery is pursued, a regular supply of such shoots for weaving into “pots” and “hullies” is a necessity, and a “withy bed” will usually be found on some valley stream near, or on a damp terrace halfway up the cliffs. crack willow tree summer crack willow tree winter Crack Willow—winter. The bark of the tree Willows has long been known to be rich in an alkaloid called salicine, which has tonic and astringent properties, and has often been used instead of quinine, though it is not nearly so powerful as the Peruvian drug. The bark is also used for tanning. The association of the Willow with sadness is very old, but there does not appear to be any satisfactory reason for it—certainly to contemplate a naturally-grown Willow that grows on the edge of a limpid stream, in which its graceful shoots and slender leaves are reflected, does not suggest sad thoughts to the average healthy mind.

The association is chiefly with maidens forsaken by their false lovers, as indicated by Shakespeare when he makes Desdemona say— “My mother had a maid called Barbara: She was in love; and he she loved proved mad, And did forsake her; she had a song of ‘Willow’; An old thing ’twas, but it expressed her fortune, And she died singing it.” leaf of the crack willow tree diagram Crack Willow. The Crack Willow or Withy (Salix fragilis) is one of the two most considerable of our tree Willows. In good soil it will in twenty years attain nearly its full height, which is eighty or ninety feet. Its bole sometimes has a girth of twenty feet. Its smooth, polished shoots afford the best ready means of distinguishing it, for instead of their base pointing to the centre of the trunk as in other trees, they grow obliquely, so that the shoots frequently cross each other. They are both tough and pliant, but if struck at the base they readily break off. This character explains the names Crack Willow and fragilis.

The leaves are lance-shaped, three to six inches long, smooth, with glandular teeth, pale or glaucous on the underside, and with half-heart-shaped stipules, which, however, are soon cast off. As we have already indicated under the head of Poplars, the male and female catkins of the Willows are borne by different trees. In the case of the Crack Willow, the male catkins are an inch or two long, proportionately stout, each flower bearing two stamens (occasionally three, four, or five). The female catkin is more slender, the flowers each containing a smooth ovary, ending in a short style that divides into two curved stigmas. The catkins appear in April or May. Although, like most of the Willows, this species is fond of cold, wet soil in low situations, it is not restricted to the plains. In Northumberland it is found at 1300 feet above the sea. Its northward range extends as far as Ross-shire, but it is a doubtful native in both Scotland and Ireland. The Bedford Willow (S. russelliana) is believed to be a hybrid between S. fragilis and S. alba.

It grows to a height of fifty feet, with a girth of twelve feet. The leaves are more slender than those of S. fragilis, taper to a point at each end, and are very smooth on both sides. It occurs in swampy woods. white willow tree summer white willow tree leaf diagram White Willow. The White Willow (Salix alba) is so called from the appearance of the leaves as the light is reflected from their silky surfaces, which are alike above and below. It is a tree from sixty to eighty feet high, with a girth of twenty feet, covered with thick and deeply fissured bark. The leaves are from two to four inches long, of a narrow elliptical shape. In the typical form the twigs are olive-coloured, but in the variety vitellina (known as the Golden Willow) these are yellow or reddish. In the variety cærulea the old leaves become quite smooth above, but retain the glaucous appearance of the underside. The White Willow is found as far north as Sutherlandshire, but although it is believed to be an indigenous species, most of the modern specimens appear to have been planted.

It affords good timber, and the bark is almost equal to that of Oak for tanning. A great number of the old Willows met with in our rambles are partially decayed, a condition frequently the result of lopping large branches, for the wound never heals, and decay setting in at that point, extends down the bole. Upon such decaying specimens one may often find one of the most handsome of our native beetles—the Musk-beetle, with long, slender body and long antennæ, all coloured in dark golden green, and diffusing the aroma of a rose. bole or trunk of white willow tree Bole of White Willow. almond leaved willow tree – winter Almond-leaved Willow—winter. The Almond-leaved or French Willow (Salix triandra) is a small tree about twenty feet high, distinguished by its bark being thrown off in flakes. Its slender lance-shaped leaves are smooth green above and glaucous beneath, two to four inches long, and with half-heart-shaped stipules. The male flowers offer another distinguishing mark in their stamens being three in number. Its habitats are the banks of rivers and streams, and in Osier-beds.

It is extensively grown on account of the long, straight shoots produced from the stump when the tree is cut down, which are of great use in wicker-work. The Bay-leaved Willow (Salix pentandra) is met with either as a small upright tree about twenty feet high, or as a shrub eight feet high. Its oval or elliptical leaves are rich green, smooth and sticky on the upper surface, and give out a pleasant fragrance like those of the Bay-tree; they vary from an inch to four inches long, and they may or may not bear stipules, but if these are present they will be egg-shaped or oblong. The stamens are normally five in each flower, but they vary up to twelve. This is reputed to be of all our Willows the latest to flower. A line drawn through York, Worcester, and North Wales will give roughly its southward range as a native species. South of that line it has been planted; north of it to the Scottish border it is a native. It has been found growing at a height of 1300 feet in Northumberland. bay leaved-willow tree summer detail of sallow willow Sallow.

The Sallow (Salix caprea) is the only other species that can properly be considered as a tree, as it attains to a height of thirty feet, though fifteen to twenty feet is a more common measurement. Its usually egg-shaped leaves vary from almost round to elliptical or lance-shaped, and from two to four inches in length. In the typical form, which occurs chiefly in woods, dry pastures, and hedgerows, they are broad, smooth, and dull-green above, covered with soft white down beneath; the stipules half-kidney-shaped. This is the earliest of all our Willows to flower, and the gold (male) and silver (female) catkins are put out before the leaves. In the country, within a few miles of the larger cities, this can hardly be a desirable species to plant, for on the Sunday before Easter thousands who at no other period exhibit any strong religious tendency journey out to pick some “Palm,” as they designate the Sallow bloom, and the rough pruning the Sallows then get must in many cases be disastrous.

He who imagines that insect life is suspended until spring is on the verge of summer should visit the woods when the Sallow is in bloom; he will be astonished at the swarms of bees and moths that are collecting the abundant pollen or sipping the nectar provided for them. Before the bright catkins can be seen the locality of the tree may be known by the loud hum produced by hundreds of pairs of wings. The all but invariable rule among the Willows—as among Oaks, Beech, Birch, Hazel, and Pines—is to depend upon the wind for the transfer of pollen from one tree to the stigmas of another of the same species, but in the Sallow we find a breaking away from what was doubtless the primitive arrangement in all flowering plants, by the bribing with honey of more reliable and less wasteful winged carriers. The Gray Sallow (Salix cinerea) is really a sub-species of S. caprea. It has a liking for moister places than the type, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that its growth in moister situations has brought about the differences by which it is separated from the parent form.

These points are, briefly—the buds and twigs are downy, the leaves smaller and proportionately narrower, the upper surface downy, grey-green beneath; the anthers of the male pale yellow, the capsule of the female smaller. The Eared Sallow (S. aurita) is probably also only another form of S. caprea, distinguished by its small, bushlike proportions (two to four feet high), long branches and red twigs; its small wrinkled leaves, which are usually less than two inches long, are of an almost oblong shape, downy beneath, and with large ear-shaped stipules. Its likeness is much closer to S. cinerea than to the type; it is fond of damp copses and moist places on heaths, where it may be found at considerable elevations. In the Highlands it ascends to 2000 feet. There are Willows of dwarf habit, some with long straggling branches and more or less prostrate stems, that grow upon heaths. Each has a name under which it has at some time or other been ranked as a distinct species, just as the forms of Bramble and Rose have been.

The differences between them are minute, and of little interest save to the advanced scientific botanist, who with his dried specimens spread before him often detects subtle distinctions not apparent to the outdoor student of the living plant. For the purposes of those for whom this volume is intended they may be regarded as one. Dwarf Silky Willow (Salix repens). It is a low bush from six to twelve inches high, the stem lying along the ground. Some of the branches straggle in the same fashion, but those which bear the flowers are more or less erect. The leaf-buds and the young leaves are silky, a condition that usually endures on the lower surface, and in some forms on the upper also. They are broadly or narrowly lance-shaped, varying in the different forms alluded to above; in size they range from a half to one and a half inches in length, and may have lance-shaped stipules, or none at all. The scales of the catkins are yellowish-green or purple, with dark tips. After they have shed their pollen the anthers turn black.

One form or other of this species will be found in all parts of the British Islands where there are heaths or commons; in the Highlands it occurs as high as 2500 feet. Another group of small Willows that form bushes (rarely a small tree) have been united under two species—the Dark-leaved Willow (Salix nigricans), and the Tea-leaved Willow (Salix phylicifolia). None of them occur south of Yorkshire, and the chief distinction between the two species (?) consists in the leaves of S. nigricans turning black when being dried for the herbarium, whilst those of S. phylicifolia do not. willow tree family osier, leaf detail Osier. The Osier (Salix viminalis). Many of the foregoing Willows, when cut down low and induced to send out long, slender shoots, are known as Osiers, but only two species are botanically regarded as Osiers—this and the Purple Osier (S. purpurea). The present species may remain as a shrub or grow into a small tree, thirty feet high, with long, straight branches, which are silky when young, but afterwards become polished.

The leaves vary in length from four to ten inches, and are slenderly lance-shaped, tapering to a point in front, and narrowing into the foot-stalk behind. They have waved margins without teeth, and the upper surface netted with veins, the under surface silvery and silky; stipules narrow lance-shaped. The Osier may be seen in Osier-beds and wet places generally throughout the country as far north as Elgin and Argyll. There are several varieties and hybrids. The Purple Osier (Salix purpurea). In all the other Willows mentioned the stamens, whatever their number, all have the filaments distinct from each other. In this species alone the filaments of the two stamens are more or less united. The Purple Osier gets its name from the red or purple bark which clothes the thin but tough twigs. It is a shrub, and grows from five to ten feet high. The leaves, which are rather thin in texture, are from three to six inches long, of slender-lance-shape, with toothed edges, smooth and glaucous on both sides, but especially beneath, somewhat hairy when young.

They are almost opposite on the twigs, and when dried for the herbarium turn black. There are several varieties of this shrub, which were formerly honoured with specific rank. willow tree family – purple osier summer Purple Osier—summer. willow tree family – purple osier winter Purple Osier—winter. There remains a group of several small species of very local occurrence, with which we can do little more here beyond naming them. The Woolly Willow (Salix lanata) is a small shrub, two or three feet high, with twisted branches, woolly twigs, and hairy black buds. The broad egg-shaped or oblong leathery leaves are also woolly, and two or three inches long. There are half-heart-shaped stipules at the base of the very short leaf-stalk. It is an Alpine plant, and is found about the mountain rills of Perth, Forfar, Inverness, and Sutherland at elevations between 2000 and 2500 feet. Conspicuous in spring for its rich golden catkins. Sadler’s Willow (S.

sadleri), of which only two or three specimens have been found (in Glen Callater, 2500 feet), is probably a form of this species. The Lapland Willow (Salix lapponum) is of a similar proportion to the last-named, sometimes erect, sometimes trailing. Its leaves are more elliptic in shape, covered above with silky hairs and below with cottony filaments. In lanata the raised veins form a network pattern; in lapponum they are straight. The stipules at the base of the long foot-stalk are small or altogether wanting. Like the preceding species, it is restricted to Scotch Alpine rocks, at elevations between 2000 and 2700 feet. The Whortle-leaved Willow (Salix myrsinites) is a small, wiry, creeping, or half-erect shrub, six inches to a foot high, with toothed, dark glossy leaves, an inch or less in length, whose net-veining shows on both sides. It is restricted to the Alpine parts of mid-Scotland, from 1000 to 2700 feet.

The Small Tree-Willow (Salix arbuscula) is a small shrub, whose stem creeps along the ground and roots as it goes, sending up more or less erect branches a foot or two high. The downy twigs are first yellow, then reddish-brown. The small leaves vary from egg-shaped to lance-shaped, and are shining above and glaucous beneath; toothed. In the Highlands of Aberdeen, Argyll, Dumfries, Forfar, and Perth, between 1000 and 2400 feet. The Least Willow (Salix herbacea) is not so restricted in its range, for it is found in all parts of the United Kingdom where there are heights sufficiently Alpine (2000 to 4300 feet) for its tastes. It is only an inch or two high, and has consequently the distinction of being the smallest British shrub. It is not so herbaceous as it seems, or as its name implies, for its shrubby stem and branches creep along underground, sending up only short, scantly leaved twigs.

The curled, roundish leaves do not exceed half an inch in length; they are net-veined, toothed, and shining. The catkins appear after the leaves. The Net-leaved Willow (Salix reticulata) is another of the Scotch Alpines. It is similar in habit to the last-named, but larger, its buried branches sending up twigs a foot long. The roundish-oblong, leathery leaves are not toothed; they are smooth above and glaucous beneath, strongly net-veined on either side. The purplish or yellow catkins do not develop till after the leaves. It is restricted to the mountains of Aberdeen, Forfar, Inverness, Perth, and Sutherland. The Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica), so conspicuous an ornament of riverside lawns, is an introduced species, whose slender branches hang downwards. It has large, lance-shaped, finely toothed leaves, smooth above and glaucous beneath. Further description of so well-known a tree is unnecessary. It attains a height of forty to fifty feet. The name babylonica was bestowed in the belief that its headquarters were on the banks of the Euphrates.

It is now known to be a native of Japan, and other parts of Asia. The name Willow is the Anglo-Saxon welig, indicating pliancy, willingness. Trees & Shrubs – Salix – The Willows – including The Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) Featured image #LondonTrees Des McKenzie ‏@McKenzie6593 Share this: or just say Hi! on your favourite platform.... 10 tips for gardeners in December from the Eden Project... 01.12.2015 Has the weather played a role in bringing unusual birds to Britain during 2016 With our position on the edge... 29.12.2016 Tree News. New tree diseases and pests threaten our native British tree species, our naturalised and garden exotics are also... 17.12.2016 First recorded Leopard Moth – Zeuzera pyrina The first recorded Wood Leopard Moth, Zeuzera pyrina, has been made in Highgate... 14.12.2016 During the winter months, osier willows become my favourite tree. While for most trees, leaf fall means a loss of...

01.12.2016 National Tree Week 2016 – Virtual Issue This week is National Tree Week! First celebrated in 1975, National Tree Week... 29.11.2016 Rewilding – Pine Martens could help save Red Squirrels New video for a new playlist! The European pine marten (Martes... 18.11.2016 *Willow, weeping *Willow, weeping Salicaceae China Location: map coordinates O-50 (southeast of parking lot #24, on northwest side of pond), N 39°11'5'' W 75°32'12'' Planting history: presently unknown.

medium-sized deciduous tree (relatively large in width) etymology: Salix = the Latin name; babylonica = of Babylon leaves long, narrow, alternate, finely toothed (serrulate); branches pendulous dioecious (separate male and female plants); flowers inconspicuous, in catkins habitat preference moist soils, full sun lifespan relatively short (ca 40-75 years) used in traditional medicines; bark contains aspirin-like salicin (aspirin is acetyl-salicylic acid; and salicylic acid is derived from salicin. Salicylic acid is named after the willow genus, Salix)) native to northern China; cultivated for a long time *Non-native species (not native to Delaware) HIT REFRESH TO START LOCATION GRAPHIC © Delaware State University Weeping Willow Weeping Willow Interesting Information About Plant: The Weeping Willow tree is a native of the extra-tropical Asia and belongs to the group the Crack Willows. This oriental tree’s bark owns mainly all of the medicinal and tanning properties of the willow group.

It has been long known in China and Turkey that the Weeping Willow is known its tearful symbolism, used in some places as a cemetery ornament signifying an association of grief for the loved one in the grave. In the ancient times the torches used in funerals were made precisely by Willow wood. It could have been a tree of ill omen as well as in ancient Babylon it is said the soothsayers predicted the death of Alexander the Great deriving from the fact that it was the Willow that swept the crown from his head as he was crossing the Euphrates river in a boat.

Scientific Name: Salix Babylonica Family Name (Scientific and Common): Salicaceae Continent of Origin: China Height at Maturity: More than 10 Feet Life Span: Perennial Patterns of Main-Veins on Leaf (or Leaflet): Pinnate Leaf Hairiness: No Hairs Color of Foliage in Summer: Green Change in Color of Foliage in October: Changes to Yellow FLowering Season: Spring Type of Flower: Like a Grass Flower Color of Flower: Yellow Shape of Individual Flower: Radially symmetrical Size of Individual Flower: Smaller than a Quarter Sexuality: Male and Female on Same Plant Size of Fruit: Between a Quarter and the Length of a Credit Card Fruit Fleshiness: Fleshy Shape of Fruit: Long Pod Color of Fruit at Maturity: Brown or Dry Fruit Desirable to Birds or Squirrels: Yes Common Name(s): Weeping Willow Louisville Plants That Are Most Easily Confused With This One: The Weeping Cherry, others in the Weeping family Unique Morphological Features of Plant: Sad droopy look of the braches hanging down, “Crying” of the tree when it rains (rain drops travel from the branches to the ends of the leaves and fall to the

 ground) Poisonous: None of Plant Pestiness (weedy, hard to control): Yes Omeka@CTL | UVM Tree Profiles : Weeping Willow : Weeping Willow- Natural History Weeping Willow : Weeping Willow- Natural History A drawing of Weeping Willow Branches Given the scientific name Salix babylonica by Linnaeus in 1753, it was originally thought that the Weeping Willow originated in the Middle East.

This can be attributed to a mistranslation of Pslam 137, where it was thought the Hebrew Slaves of Babylon wept for Zion under a willow tree. It was later discovered that the “Babylon Willows” were a species of poplar and that the Weeping Willow originated in Northern China. Over the years, various culitvars of Salix babylonica were traded along the Silk Road, making its way to Europe and southern reaches of Asia and Oceania before later being introduced to North America. In North America, the Weeping Willow can be seen growing as far north as the southern coast of Alaska and as far south as central Mexico. In the book Exotic Forest Trees in the British Commonwealth, the author R.J. Streets states that, as of 1962, specimens of Salix babylonica can be found in Australia, Cyprus, Fiji, Great Britain, India, New Zealand, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. Bare Weeping Willow on the banks of the Rhein in Germany. The ideal habitat of the Weeping Willow is a moist, humid environment.

Most Weeping Willows can be found along rivers and stream beds where an abundance of moisture can be found, though the Weeping Willow can survive in drought situations. The roots of the Weeping Willow are rather aggressive and need plenty of space to grow as they can cause damage to pipelines of houses and plug up water lines if planted too close to buildings. The Weeping Willow can grow in a number of soil types, including alkaline and acidic soils.

Question: Salix babylonica is the Latin name for which British tree?
Answer: WILLOW